Perceived Exposure to Misinformation and Trust in Institutions in Four Countries Before and During a Pandemic

Authors

  • Shelley Boulianne ESPOL- Université Catholique de Lille
  • Edda Humprecht Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Keywords:

social media, media trust, political trust, cross-national, political ideology

Abstract

Misinformation could undermine trust in institutions during a critical period when people require updated information about a pandemic and credible information to make informed voting decisions. This article uses survey data collected in 2019 (n = 6,300) and 2021 (n = 6,000) in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada to examine the relationship between perceived exposure to misinformation and trust in national news media and the national/federal government. We do not find that perceived exposure to misinformation undermines trust. We test whether these relationships differ for those with left-wing versus right-wing views, by country, period, or electoral context.

Author Biographies

Shelley Boulianne, ESPOL- Université Catholique de Lille

Professor of Digital Political Communication

Edda Humprecht, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Associate Professor

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Published

2023-02-26

Issue

Vol. 17 (2023)

Section

Articles

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